- Four in five plan to increase investment in AI despite current challenges
- Skills shortages and outdated learning systems are hampering growth
- AI is also layering on, rather than defining, jobs, reducing its benefits.
UK companies are still obsessed with artificial intelligence and investing in it without addressing the underlying challenges, according to new research from Accenture.
More than four in five (83%) of respondents said they plan to increase investment in AI tools, seeing them as an important part of preparing for the future rather than a workforce replacement tool.
In fact, 71% of leaders surveyed expect to increase hiring in response to impending changes, suggesting that AI plays a larger role in driving company growth than in reducing the workforce.
These are the challenges associated with AI adoption
Although companies continue to invest in artificial intelligence, Accenture found that they are struggling to overcome some key implementation barriers, and they are the same ones we hear about time and time again.
Around a quarter (27%) cite skills shortages and outdated learning systems as barriers, and only 43% so far say they plan to upskill employees this year. Employees are also much less likely to believe they have adequate basic training to use AI compared to managers.
But it’s not just skills preparation that’s under fire: throughout the implementation process itself, adopters fall into two groups: those who fully embrace it and those who invest blindly without a carefully considered plan. Only 9% of companies are redesigning roles or responsibilities, indicating that AI is simply being layered on top of existing jobs rather than being used to its full transformative potential.
“The organizations that will lead in 2026 will be those that combine investment in technology with clarity around skills, roles and opportunities, and treat workforce transformation as a strategic priority, not an afterthought,” summarized UK&I CEO Matt Prebble.
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